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A lot of data isn’t worth what we spend to protect it. What’s worth protecting and what’s just not? That’s not a decision IT and IT Security should be making. Instead, count on the business to help you prioritize. This goes along with our tip to cultivate understanding between the business and Infosec. Prioritize security controls that play into what the business needs and leave the others for later. (And document this decision for the auditors!)

Example: If you’re working for Coca-Cola and you say to your Chief Taste Magician (or whatever his title would be) that you want to help him protect the secret formula he probably won’t care. Anybody with access to a mass spectrometer and a basic understanding of how to read the printout can figure out the formula. But he is going to care about patenting the technology they’re developing to get the soda fountain mouth-feel into a plastic bottle. That’s his priority for the Taste Lab and it should be yours too.

This is part of a series of short tips for Information Security Managers, where Stratigos Security will provide you with some of the benefits of our experience working with others like you. If you like what you read, come back for more!